April 20-May 3, 2016 —
COLORADO REAL ESTATE JOURNAL
— Page 33
American Subcontractors Association Colorado
‘The Voice of Colorado Subcontractors’
3575 South Sherman Street, Suite 3, Englewood, CO 80113
303.759.8260 •
ASAC COMMITTEES
& COUNCILS
ASAC delivers advocacy, education and
networking through the Dream Team
Committee that coordinates 4 committees
that plan and execute their initiatives and
objectives through Councils. To become a
part of and participate contact the ASAC
office at 303.759.8260.
Dream Team Committee
Debra Scifo, Chair
Carl Cox III, Vice Chair/Excel
Environmental, Inc.
Business Trades Advocacy Committee
Chris Barnes, Chair/Travelers, Inc.
Community Partnership Council
TBD
Industry Partnership Council
Danielle Nicol, Chair/Diamond
Excavating, Inc.
Bill Jessen, Vice Chair/Trout Mobile, Inc.
Legislative Advocacy Council
Scott Deering, Chair/Absolute Caulking
& Waterproofing, Inc.
Julie Massaro, Vice Chair/National
Utility Contractors Association Colorado
Education Committee
Annual Construction Industry & Excellence In
Safety Awards Gala
Ray Nibbe, Chair/Wagner Rents, Inc.
Pete Scifo, Vice Chair/OBS Consultants
LLC
Attorney’s Council
Carrie Rodgers, Chair/Moye White LLC
Melissa Ogburn, Vice Chair/Pryor
Johnson Carney Karr Nixon
Business Development Council
Mike Tafoya, Chair/Portocol Business
Strategies
Nathan Fonseca, Vice Chair/CRS
Insurance Brokerage, Inc.
Health & Safety Committee
Annual Health & Safety Summit
Nick Williams, Chair/Absolute Caulking
& Waterproofing, Inc.
Justin Crane, Vice Chair/Preferred Safety
Products, Inc.
Safety Council
Justin Crane, Chair/Preferred Safety
Products, Inc.
Health Council
Krista Price, Chair/Aflac
Event Council
Mark Hoover, Chair/Wagner Rents, Inc.
Member Development Committee
Annual Golf Classic
TBD, Chair
Joe LaPolla, Vice Chair/EKS & H
Membership Council
Carl Cox III, Chair/Excel
Environmental, Inc.
The State of the
Construction Industry
During the core of the Great
Recession the Construction
Industry employment
dropped by 2.3 million accord-
ing to the Department of
Labor, nearly 40% of the
industry jobs were lost. Many
laborers were forced out and
had to find jobs in different
industries. Fast forward 8
years, the industry is back on
its feet but all of the workers
are well into new careers in
different industries. Now that
the Baby Boomers are ready
to retire, the industry will
have to look to the Millennials
to fill the labor gap. By 2025,
Millennials will make up 75%
of the United States work-
force. The Hartford reports
that only 7% of young adult
respondents were interested
in obtaining a job in construc-
tion, retail or manufacturing.
With the construction indus-
try facing a worker shortage,
a 7% interest is not nearly
enough to fill the open posi-
tions. The industry as a whole
needs to work together to find
a way to attract new hires.
What Millennials Look
for in a Career
Millennials have grown up
using technology. It is a neces-
sity to their lifestyle. They
spend time researching tech-
nology solutions to daily chal-
lenges because they want to
complete tasks in the fastest
and most efficient way possi-
ble. They want to bring their
ideas and technology into the
workplace. They are driven by
results and they measure suc-
cess by how much gets done,
rather than how many hours
are punched. They want to
know they accomplished
something, rather than just
putting in the hours. They
value meaningful work which
means they are connected
and included in processes and
outcomes.
They want flexible work
schedules and career options
that offer advancement and
leadership opportunities.
Millennials seek diversity
in their career development
and construction offers many
diverse career paths.
Not your Parents
Construction Industry
The industry has experi-
enced many changes in the
last 25 years. Millennials may
not be interested in the con-
struction industry because
of misconceptions about the
construction industry today.
Five major changes in the
construction industry are:
1. Technology:
Smartphones,
drones, 3D printing and
other technology are cur-
rently being used on job sites.
Workers successfully operate
and utilize technology worth
thousands of dollars.
2. Safety:
Safety is regarded
at a higher standard today.
There are stricter protocols
and guidelines protecting not
only the safety and health of
the employee, but also the
customer and general public.
There is greater safety aware-
ness and proactive safety
practices on the jobsite.
3. Demand:
There is a
high demand for skilled
construction workers and
the labor shortage is grow-
ing. The trend is to attract
new employees as opposed
to enticing lost employees to
return. Bringing new employ-
ees into the industry requires
that employers know their
employee demographic and
respond by creating a work
environment that supports
the construction labor mar-
ket.
4. Training:
There is a higher
value on training and quali-
fications. Training in and of
itself is technology based and
perpetuates the value and
culture of technology in the
workplace. Because of tech-
nology, training is more acces-
sible and affordable breaking
down barriers to training and
education that previously
existed.
5. Culture:
A strong culture,
is essential to the viability
and profitability of a busi-
ness. It also is very impor-
tant to employees. People
want to work at a place that
treats them with respect and
consideration. Construction
businesses must create an
environment that is empow-
ering and productive to their
employees.
Attracting the Next Generation
of Construction Workers
ASAC MEMBER PROFILE
